Fourteen-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is set to take on fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev in the first round at Roland Garros, Paris on Monday.
It is the first time Nadal and Zverev will face each other since the semifinal of the same Major from two years ago.
Nadal had entered that contest after a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) win over arch-rival Novak Djokovic while Zverev had beaten rising star Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7) in the quarterfinals.
In an exciting semifinal contest that lasted more than three hours before the abrupt ending, Zverev missed four set points during the first set tiebreak against Nadal. Still, Zverev continued to make life tough for the Spaniard until the German rolled his right ankle in the final point of the 12th game of the second set.
Zverev twisted his ankle as he tried to retrieve a shot and had to be taken off the Court Philippe-Chatrier in a wheelchair.
After several minutes off court, he returned to the arena on crutches to concede the match while trailing 7-6(8), 6-6.
Nadal went on to beat Casper Ruud in the final to clinch a record-extending 14th title in Paris.
This time too, Zverev is in top form after clinching the Italian Open title. On the other hand, the 37-year-old Nadal has been away from professional tennis for the most part ever since he sustained a hip injury at last year’s Australian Open.
Ranked 275th in the world, Nadal is unseeded at a Major for the first time since Australian Open in 2005. He has a 5-3 win-loss record on clay this season.
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